Young people in Espoo are interested in influencing

A young person entitled to vote can find a suitable candidate for the Youth Council by means of a candidate selection engine. The vote will take place during election week from 8 to 12 November 2021. The candidate selection engine opens on 25 October.

The candidates, who are between the ages of 13 and 18, share a passion for making a difference in matters affecting young people. This year, there are a staggering 104 candidates, 18 more than in the previous season.

Young people have been made aware of the elections in an extensive social media campaign.

“We hoped that we could inspire young people to participate both as candidates and as voters,” says Mira Honkaniemi, Youth Work Coordinator at Youth Services of the Growth and Learning Sector.

“The elections have been announced to young people in a large campaign on social media and in close cooperation with actors working closely with young people both inside and outside the city. This is the second time that the elections have been held in cooperation with the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, as the Council influences not only the issues of young people in its own municipality, but also the themes concerning young people in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.”

“Young people are encouraged to explore the candidate selection engine and find a suitable candidate in this way. In addition to this, young people can find a suitable candidate by following the hashtags #nuorisovaltuustovaalit2021, #espoonnuorisovaltuusto and #sunkaupunki on social media, which the candidates use in their own election work. Candidates can also organise various events in their educational institutes within their own electoral work, for example, which bring variety to school life and maintain electoral buzz between fun activities. When candidates are active in election work, they can tell about themselves and make themselves more familiar to other young people.”

Everyone who is entitled to vote and studies in Espoo will vote in their own educational institution on the voting day. Voting is also possible at the service points in Sello and Iso Omena shopping centres.

All young people living in Espoo who turn at least 13 or at most 18 this year have the right to vote.

The new democratically elected Youth Council will begin its two-year term on 1 January 2022. A total of 40 councillors are elected.

The Youth Council participates in the decision-making of the City of Espoo. It promotes young people’s issues, brings forward young people’s requests and expresses young people’s opinion on current issues. It takes a stand on issues, takes initiatives and expresses opinions, developing the hometown from the perspective of young people.

The election result will be approved by the City Board on 29 November and the results will be published in December.